Among the Echoes (Wrecked and Ruined #2.5)(33)

"I’m not Tom Cruise, but I have a certain following."

"Oh my God. I’m going to be sick." She jumps from my lap and runs to the bathroom.

"Wait a second." I stand and race after her, but she slams the door in my face. "Talk to me. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I swear."

"You lied to me," she chokes out, crying.

"I didn’t lie. We were just getting to know each other. That lifestyle makes things complicated. When I first told you my name, I had no idea we would end up here. I thought you recognized me, and I didn’t want my cover blown."

"Yeah, we wouldn’t want your cover blown. Where the worst thing that happens is your adoring fans shower you with love. We definitely wouldn’t want that cover blown," she bites out sarcastically, but her voice cracks at the end.

"It’s not like that. The paparazzi follow me, and I never have a minute to just breathe and be myself. I’m always looking over my shoulder," I try to explain.

She snatches open the door and stares at me with tear-stained cheeks. "Now that, I understand." She bumps into me, forcing me to step out of her way. "I have to go."

"Riley, wait. This is not something to freak out about."

"Adam—f*ck…I mean, Slate. What the hell do I even call you? You have no idea how big of a deal this really is."

"Why? Tell me why this is such a huge deal. This is my job. I can’t change it. Trust me, I hate the lifestyle."

"Well, you know what? Right this f*cking second, I think I hate it more. I can’t live like that, Adam. Like, literally. I can’t live." She laughs without humor while shaking her head. "It’s funny the way the world works. The one person I’m magically not scared of is probably the most terrifying of them all."

"What the hell does that mean? Stop talking in f*cking code and let me in on your hang-up. Yeah, it’s a hard life, but you haven’t given me one f*cking reason why you are freaking out right now. Stop hiding and tell me what the hell is going on with you!" I yell in a way I swore to myself I would never speak to her. But I have a terrible feeling about where she is going with this.

"This…whatever this is…is done. Stay away from me," she says, walking out the door. Luckily for me, I know exactly where she lives.

"Tell me what you are afraid of. Tell me why my occupation has you on the run. I can keep you out of it."

"We can’t take that risk," she calls over her shoulder.

"Why do I feel like I’m missing a puzzle piece here? Because nothing about this makes sense. I can protect you from your ex-boyfriend if that’s who you are worried about!"

She comes to a complete halt and turns around to face me. "My ex-boyfriend?" she questions with an expression I can’t quite figure out. But she stops moving away.

"You don’t have to hide from him, Riley." I take a step forward and push a hand into her hair to tilt her head back. "Look, you’re right. This is all new. We are just getting to know each other, and who the hell knows if it will work out. But I will swear on my life that I will make you safe. Whether this works out or not, I will never let anyone hurt you again."

She closes her eyes and her chin begins to quiver. "You have no idea how much I wish I could believe you," she says with a sob and drops her forehead to my chest.

"I swear to you. I’ll get you a good attorney, a restraining order, and a security detail—whatever you need. I want to be with you, but more than that, I want to see you live without fear."

She sucks in a long breath and shakes her head against my chest. "You’re a good man, Slate Andrews."

Sliding her arms up my chest, she wraps them around my neck. The tears steadily fall from her eyes as she stands on her tiptoes and pulls me down for an agonizing kiss. It begins slow and gentle, but it doesn’t take long before it becomes wild. I push her up against the brick just beside her front door. Her hands trace over my body and back up and over my shoulders. I hold her tight against me and she clings to my back, digging in her fingernails in the most positively arousing way possible.

"I’ll fix that part for you. Then we can figure the us part out together," I say, trying to reassure her again.

Suddenly, she steps out of my arms and rubs the heels of her palms over her eyes. "I can’t even begin to tell you how much I wish we could make that happen. It’s just not possible. Goodbye, Adam." Before I even have a chance to react to her words, she opens her door and slides inside, locking it behind her.

"Don’t do this. Don’t let this go because of who I am!" I shout at the closed door.

"I’m not. I’m letting it go because of who I am," she says in a voice so broken that it physically hurts to hear it.

"Damn it! Just talk to me, Riley," I plead, but she never responds.

I wait for at least fifteen minutes, but I never hear another word from her. I try to figure what the hell just happened. I knew she was going to be upset that I hadn’t told her about my life sooner, but her cryptic little messages about why we can’t be together worry me the most. Finally, the cold forces me back to my apartment. But I leave knowing that I’ll be back. This is not a fight I’m willing to lose.